West Bengal govt in favour of amending APMC Act

The West Bengal government today said it is in favour of amending the Agri-Produce Market Committee Act in line with the policies of the Centre.

"We are in favour of amending the APMC Act. But, there are a few concerns which we are trying to address," Agricultural Marketing minister Arup Roy said on the sidelines of an interactive session with Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.

When asked about the concerns, Roy said, "We are sceptical about contract farming and trying to address the issue."

Meanwhile, West Bengal State Marketing Board CEO Asok Santra said they are seeking private participation for development of markets and cold chains in the state. “We are the prime vendors to all large retail chains and will keep their interests at heart when we draft out proposals. Personally, I think the APMC Act is outdated and hence needs to go. This however, has to happen in a phased manner,” said Mayank Jalan, managing director, Keventer Agro.

That the industry has been pitching for the amendment to the APMC Act is well known. The amendment would allow big retailers like Reliance direct access to farmers allowing them to control the supply chains and set up private mandis.